Electrode for arc-lamps.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS R. WHITNEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF. NEW YORK.

ELECTRODE FOR ABCQLAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed December 10, 1903. Serial No. 184,665.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS R. WHITNEY, a citizen of theUnited States, residingat Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrodes for specification. g

The object of my present invention is to improve the operation and increase the efficiency of arc lamps by improving the quality of the electrodes employed.

I have discovered that electrodes made out of any one of the following metals, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, thorium, and uranium, when substantially pure, possess excellent qualities for use in arc lamps.

These metals are good conductors of eleo tricity and have melting points materially higher than the more common metals such as iron. The melting point of each of the metals specified, when pure, exceeds two thousand degrees centigrade. Electrodes formed from these materials are very slowly consumed in the normal operation of the lamp and give a luminous or flaming are which furnishes a 'very intense light of an excellent color.

however, that my present invention shall be limited to any particular way of making these electrodes. It may be observed, how- 7 ever, that the electrodes, under some circumstances, are preferably treated so as to lessen their heat conductivity.

I have discovered that electrodes giving a luminous or flaming are, as do electrodes Arc-Lamps, of which the following is a.

made from any of the metals above speci fied, may be advantageously employed as negative electrodes in connection with nonconsuming positive electrodes, but I make no claim to this general arrangement in the resent application as I have already claimed it in application Serial No. 181,308, filed by me on the 16th day of November, 1903.

Instead of making electrodes containing but one of the materials specified above I may form them from alloys oontainingtwo or more of the'materials specified, or from mixtures containing one or more of the materials specified to which certain other materials have been added to affect for particular purposes the characteristics of the arc obtained. 7.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. An are light electrode formed out of a pure metal having a melting point materially higher than iron and yielding a luminous or flaming arc.

2. An are light electrode formed out of a substantially pure metal having good electrical conductivity, melting at a temperature exceeding two'thousand degrees centigrade, and yielding a luminous or flaming are.

3. An are light electrode containing as its principal constituent a metal in the pure state having good electrical conductivity, melting at a temperature exceeding two thousandidegrees centigrade, and yielding a luminous or flaming are.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of December, 1903.

WILLIS R. WHITNEY.

Witnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL, BURTON O. ANTHONY. 

